Wisconsin Ethics Law as Applied to Suitcasing and Outboarding Policy
As the statewide association representing school counselors in Wisconsin, our events attract and engage an entire education ecosystem. WSCA wants to ensure everyone in the community, from members, to attendees, to sponsors, have a successful experience at WSCA events and are correctly following Wisconsin’s Ethics Laws. Thus, we are taking steps to protect from suitcasing and outboarding at our events. This policy establishes our position and practices.
What is Wisconsin’s Ethics Law?
WI Ethical Standards: Meeting the Regulations as School District Staff and Vendors
School district employees are public employees required to abide by a strict code of ethics. Ethics codes generally prohibit officials from accepting:
- Items or services of substantial value.
- Anything of value that could reasonably be expected to influence the official’s vote.
- Anything of value that could reasonably be considered a reward for official action.
A local public official may accept meals, refreshments, and the like without charge that are provided, sponsored, and/or sanctioned by the conference organizer.
For complete information, please reference Wisconsin Ethics Law.
In essence, this law prohibits our attendees from accepting prizes/gifts from exhibitors, including private gatherings or receptions (ie. outboarding). However, prizes may be donated to WSCA for distribution to conference attendees selected from a pool of ALL attendees, with understanding that prizes will be used in schools, and separate activities or events can be submitted to WSCA for approval (see below).
What is Suitcasing?
Suitcasing is the act of attending an event to market, promote, sell, or otherwise solicit business, without purchasing an exhibitor booth or sponsoring the event. This behavior is counter to the business interests of our paying exhibitors and sponsors, as it steals leads and opportunities from them. Suitcasing may take the form of commercial activity conducted during event hours from a hotel guest room or hospitality suite; a restaurant, club, or any other public place.
Examples of Suitcasing:
- Attempting to sell product on the exhibit floor without exhibiting
- Placing marketing materials on tables, counters or in booths
- Promoting outside events, organizations or conferences
- Booth sharing with a company or person that is not exhibiting
What is Outboarding?
Outboarding is when someone attends a WSCA event and hosts an unauthorized event, meeting, demonstration or presentation in any space at or near the event, including other hotels, restaurants, nearby properties, or at their own personal business without consent of WSCA. Outboarding is prohibited even by paying exhibitors and sponsors.
Examples of Outboarding:
- Offering your own content session without WSCA’s consent
- Inviting event attendees to a hospitality suite for a product demonstration
- Essentially, holding any type of event/gathering while in town for WSCA’s event without WSCA’s consent
SUITCASING AND OUTBOARDING ARE PROHIBITED
Seeking Approval
To avoid outboarding, WSCA must be informed of any separate activities or events during the duration of the event, and you must receive WSCA’s express consent prior to hosting the event.
To seek approval for an activity you desire to host, please provide as much detail as possible through this form. WSCA will evaluate all properly submitted and sufficiently detailed requests and will consider, among other things, the nature of the request, whether the requester is a member or paying exhibitor/sponsor of the event, and the value of the proposed activity to the event and the WSCA community. All decisions by WSCA are at WSCA’s sole discretion and are final.
What Happens if Someone Violates this Policy?
WSCA has created a Suitcasing Prevention team that will look into all complaints regarding suitcasing and will take appropriate action. WSCA reserves the right to suspend the violator from participating in future WSCA events or opportunities or to assess a fine on the violator.
